Means and method of stapling box parts



y 1936- G. c. BABCOCK, JR 2,046,359

MEANS AND METHOD OF STAPLING BOX PARTS Filed Dec. 11, 1934 4 sheets sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

9101' [Ford Cfiacac/gfn A TTORNEYS.

July 7, 1936. G. c. BABCOCK, JR

MEANS AND METHOD OF STAPLING BOX PARTS Filed Dec. 11, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M .1 we m mm w W J a T m Mr B. A C

41] I II'HI IIMH'I], IT II H 1 NH RHUIW 9a y e. c. BABCOCK, JR 2,046,359

MEANS AND METHOD OF STAPLING BOX PARTS File d Dec. 11, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

B mm 0 July 7, 1936. ve. c. BABCOCK, JR 2,046,359

MEANS AND METHOD OF STAPLING BOX PARTS Filed Dec. 11, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet'4 IN V EN TOR.

Patented July 7, 1936 x ran'rs Guiliord c. Babcock, Jr., Summit, N. 1., assignor to stapling Machin Delaware ea 00., a corporation of Application December 11, 1934, Serial No. 756,942

8 Claims. (Cl. 1--8.3)

This invention relates to a means and method oi! clinching the ends of staples which are driven through box or crate sides, and particularly to clincher blocks used for clinching staples in the manufacture of wirebound boxes.

It is an object of the invention to provide a clincher block which will control the direction in which the staple leg clinches.

It is a further object of the invention to co trol the clinching direction of the staple legs so as to cause them to lie across the grain of the wood when a wooden box side is used.

It is another object of the invention to provide a clinching means to control. the radius of the clinching curve. 1 I

It is a further object to provide a clinching means-which will control the amount or thickness of wire which is allowed to lie below the surface of the box material after clinching.

It is a further object to provide a clinching means which will efliciently clinch the staple legs in the box material without unduly rupturing or weakening the material.

It iaa further object to'provide a clinching means which will so clinch the staple legs in the box side as to increase the holding power of the staple.

It is a further object to provide a clinching means which will bury the sharp staple points in the box material.

It is a further object to provide a clincher block for a stapling machine which will reduce the load on the machine when clinching and the consequent wear on the parts thereof.

It is a further object to provide a clinching means which willpermit the use of thinner side material in the manufacture of wirebound boxes and crates. I

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

One illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompany drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a clincher block embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a sectional portion of the clincher block.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the clincher block showing the relative position of the block and a staple at the start of a clinching operation.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one type of wirebound box blank. I

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view partly in section of a portion of the box blank and showing the manner in which a staple is driven over a binding wire through an exterior batten or cleat and through the sheet of side material and is clinched on the under side of the side material.

Fig. 6 is an-enlarged perspective view partly in section of another portion of the box blank and showing the manner in which a staple is driven over a binding wire and through a sheet of side material and is clinched on the under side of the side material. I

Fig. 7 isan enlarged top plan view of a portion of the box blank and illustrating the manner in which the staple legs are clinched in opposite directions parallel to the binding wire and across the grain of the wood.

Figs. 8-, '9, and 10 areenlar'gedDerspective views, ot a portignofthe blank showing the manner in which the staple leg is fdrivenioverfthe binding wire through the boxL-materials' and is clinched on the underside oi5the.box-matria1s.

Figs. 11, 12, and 13 arejsimila 'view' s, but showing the mannerin which'a; I has been deflected from its'noimal. coursefot travelby the box materials isfclinch'ed on the under side of the material.

Referring to'Fig. 4, the type of wirebound-box blank there shown consists oi -four sectionsor side material I, preferably. of ,rotarycut veneer or resawed lumber, each section being provided at one end with an interior cleat 2, and atythe' other end with an exterior cleat 3- The several sections are connected together in foldable relationship by binding wires] stapled thereto.

The materials entering into the box blank are I wire 4 at an angle to cause the staple legs to e'nterthe side material at spaced points across the grain of the side material to avoid possible splitting of the side material which might follow the driving of both staple legs in a line parallel with the grain of the side material.

To i'urther avoid splitting and rupturing oi leg'whilch the side material and to increase the holding power of the staple, the clincher block of this invention causes the staple legs to clinch inst wood,.ss shown inl'lg. 7, and also causes each staple leg alter it emerges from the under side oftheboxmaterialtocurlinsuchawaythat the point of the staple leg will enter the under side of the box material at a point relatively remote across the grain from the point at which the stapleleg emerged from the side material, as shown in Figs. 5 and 8,,-all with theresult that the staple is securely clinched to the side material without splitting or unduly rupturing the same.

The curling oi the staple leg in the manner.

hereinafter described prevents the staple leg from crushing and weakening the fibers of the side material and increases the holding power of the staple. As shown in Fig. 5, the staple emerges through the side .material I at the point "x", and the point of the staple reenters the side material at the point Y, and the portion of the curledstaple leg between thepoints X and Y lies almost wholly beneath the side material I', instead of being imbedded therein, as in prior clinching practices.

The advantages of driving andclinching the staple in the manner hereinbefore pointed out is best illustrated in Fig. 7 by reference to the lines there shown and'marked A, 3", C" and D". When the staple is driven over the binding wire 4, the legs enter and pierce the side material I along the lines A and B, i. e., at separated points across the grain of the wood, and when the legs of the staple are curled in opposite directions their points enter the side material respectively along the lines C and "D, i. e., at two points differently spaced across the grain of the side material. Thus, there is no possibility of "any staple piercing the side material at two points parallel to the grain of the wood. Such a stapling and clinching permits the use of thinner side material.

Heretofore staple legs have been usually clinched by imbedding the legs in the wood. Such a clinching compresses and ruptures the fibers of the wood where the leg is imbedded therein, thus weakening the wood at that point. For example, if the wood-is (.125") thick, and the staple wire is eighteen gauge 'or .047" in diameter, and the staple wire is imbedded in the wood to the extent of the diameter of the wire, .047" of the wood will be ruptured, leaving intact only .078" (.125" minus .047" equals .078") or 62%?! of the wood. when the staple is still enough to resist unbending. it will under stress break through the thin portion of the wood remaining intact. An imbedded clinch,

therefore. in the example given, reduces the holding power of the wood 37%%. 'Ihe percentage oi loss of holding power is greater in thinner woods.

The clincher block which causes and controls the clinching in the manner hereinbeiore described is shown in Fig. 1. It consists of a metal block preferably of steel and of oblong shape in horizontal cross-section, as there shown. Running diagonally acros the upper surface of the block is aridge 8 located in substantially the same horizontal plane as the upper surfaces 9 and 9' of the ends of the block. Extending from one side of the ridge 8 are a series of parallel grooves Ill, and extending from the other side of the ridge 8 are a series of similar parallel grooves It. The grooves Ill and the grooves III are parallel to each other and parallel to the longitudinal center line of the block.

I 2,046,869 pposite directions and across the grain'oi' the however, the legs of the staple are deflected The block'is positioned hence to be"operated upon so that bin will lie-parallel with the grooves II and II thegrainofthesidematerial I will anglestothegrooves II and I ',-so astapleiisdrivenatanangleoverthe wire and at an angle to the ridge I, as in one leg of the staple will enter thegrooves, I0 on one side of I, theotherlegwillenteroneofthe'grooves II ontheothersideoftheridgeiandbecur' in themanner presently described. It the staple legs in through the material are no deflected by the material they will usually enter the grooves I0 andii' as shown in Fig.3. If

as frequently occurs, the legs may enter one or the other of the grooves l0 and III, as pointed out hereinafter, and for that reason the block is provided with a plurality of grooves (five in the g0 illustrative embodiment) on eachside of the ridge I, so that no matter what the extent of the deflection of the staple legs may be, they will nevertheless each enter one of the grooves provided to receive them. 25

As best shown in Figs. 8, 9and 10, the grooves curve downwardly from the ridge 8 to cause the point of the staple to curl when it strikes the bottom of the groove, as shown in Fig. 9. Continued driving of the staple causes its point to 30 curl upward and enter the under side of the material, as shown in Fig. 10. The depth of the groove is substantially equal to the diameter of the staple wire, so that when the clinching operation is completed the portion of the staple leg 35 marked Z" in Fig. 10 will lie below the under surface of the side material instead of being'imbedded in the side material.

The curvatureof the groove is such as to accommodate itself to deflection in the staple legs during their passage through the Normally the staple emerges from the side material at the point "P in Fig. 8, and is curled in the manner shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Occasionally, however, the staple leg is deflected in its passage through the material and emerges at the point P in Fig. ll. when the staple leg is pushed against the hard surface of the groove (being confined and guided as it is close to the point of contact) the leg will curl on a radius the size of whichis governed by the angle between the leg and the surface it contacts with. Hence in the clincher block of this construction, the above-mentioned radius is very accurately controlled under all circumstances by the use of 5 the curved or arcuate groove. The angle E in Fig. 8 between the line "F", tangent to the surface "G of the groove, and the leg line "H". is substantially equal to the angle E' in Fig. 11 between the line "1" tangent to the surface 60 "G of the groove and the leg line 11'. Thus, curling of the staple legs and reentrance of the staple points into the side material are always assured under all ordinary conditions of defiection of the staple legs.

The U-clinch produced by the clincher blockherein has resulted in many practical advantages in the manufacture of wirebound boxes. It increases the holding power oi the staple, eliminates projecting staple points, and permits the 70 use of thinner side material for the same strength in many types'of commercial boxes. It also reduces the load on the stapling machine during the clinching operation and the consequent wear on the parts. This results from the 75 iii to be limited to the specific embodiment shown for purposes of illustration as the inventive features may be variously embodied without departing from the invention.

It will also be understood further that all of the features of the invention need not be used conjointly as they may be used in various combinations as defined in the sub-joined claims.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 671,635 filed May 18, 1933.

I claim:

1. Clincher means forbox stapling machines comprising a metal block provided with two series of longitudinal grooves separated by a ridge whereby the legs of a staple driven through a box part resting upon the block will straddle the ridge and each leg will enter one of the grooves on its side of the ridge and will be curled in the irection of the groove, the bottom surface oi the grooves being curved longitudinally of the groove at a suitable radius of curvature whereby the legs of the staple will be curved sufficiently to cause the staple point to reenter the box part at a point relatively remote from the point of emergence.

2. Clincher means for box stapling machines comprising a metal block provided with two series of parallel grooves separated by a ridge located at an angle to the direction of the grooves, the bottom surface of the grooves being curved downwardly from the ridge with a pre determined radius of curvature, whereby the legs of the staple driven through a box .part resting upon the block will straddle the ridge and each leg will enter one of the grooves on its side of the ridge and will be curled in a direction away from the ridge with a radius'of curvature sufficient to cause the staple point to; reenter the box part at a point relatively remote from the point of emergence.

3. Clincher means for box stapling machines comprising a block provided with two series of parallel grooves separated by a ridge, the bottom surface of the grooves being curved downwardly from the ridge at a predetermined radius of curvature whereby the legs of the staple driven through a box part resting upon the block will straddle the ridge and each leg will enter one of the grooves on its side of the ridge and will be curled in a direction away from the ridge with a radius of curvature sufficient to cause the staple point to reenter the box part at a point relatively remote from the point of emergence.

4. Clincher means for box stapling machines comprising a metal block provided with two series of parallel grooves separated by a ridge located at an angle to the direction of the grooves, the bottom surface of the -grooves being curved downwardly from the ridge with a predetermined radius of curvature, and the depth of the grooves being substantially equal to the diameter of a staple leg, whereby the legs of the staple driven through a box part resting upon the block will straddle the ridge and each leg will enter one of the grooves on its side of the ridge and will be curled with a radius of curvature sufilcient to cause the staple point to reenter the box part at a point relatively remote from the point of emergence while leaving that portion of the staple leg lying between said points beneath the under side of the box part.

5. Clincher means for box stapling machines comprising a metal block provided with two series of parallel grooves separated by a ridge, the bottom surface of the grooves being curved downwardly from the ridge with a predetermined radius of curvature, and the depth of the grooves being substantially equal to the diameter of a staple leg, whereby the legs of the staple driven through a box part resting upon the block will straddle the ridge and each leg will enter one of the grooves on its side of the ridge and will be curled with a radius of curvature suflicient to cause the staple point to reenter the box part at a point relatively remote from the point of emergence, while leaving that portion of the staple leg lying between said points beneath the under side of the box part.

6. A method of stapling a binding wire to a "wooden box part which consists in driving the staple over the wire at an angle to the axis of the wire and at an angle to the grain of the wood, whereby the legs of the staple pass through the box part at spaced points across the grain of the wood, curling the legs of the staple which emerge from the under side of the box part away from each other and parallel to the axis of the wire and across the grain of the wood, and controlling the radius of the curls to cause the staple points to reenter the under side of the box part at points relatively remote from the points at which they emerged from the under side of the box part while maintaining substantially all of the intermediate portions of the staple legs below the under side of the box part, whereby the staple legs pierce the box part at four points spaced crosswise the grain of the wood while leaving the wood intermediate said points substantially free of impairment.

7. A method of stapling a binding wire to a sheet of box material which consists in driving the staple over the wire at an angle to the axis of the wire, curling the legs of the staple which emerge from the under side of the sheet in opposite directions parallel to the axis of the wire, and controlling the radius of the curls to cause the staple points to reenter the under side of the sheet at points relatively remote irom the points at which they emerged from the under side of the sheet...

8. A method of stapling a binding wire to a box part which consists in driving the staple over the wire at an angle to the axis of the wire, curling the legs of the staple which emerge from the under side of the box part in opposite directions substantially parallel to the axis of the wire and controlling the radius of the. curls to cause the staple points to reenter the underside of the box part at points relatively remote from the points at which they emerged from the under side of the box part. 

